The Power Of Boredom In Children

The human brain is in constant search of stimulation. So when boredom in children arises, their brains look for an alternative. For example, why is it so difficult to talk to a person when there is a TV on in the room?

Subconsciously, our eyes will regularly examine the changing images on the screen. And this, whatever the projected content. It is this constant change that fuels our brains. Indeed, any change corresponds to information. Even if this information may seem insignificant or unnecessary to us.

If this happens to adults, imagine what goes on in a child’s brain … In them, this need for stimulation is increased.

Boredom in children

Unfortunately, too often we use the television, phone or tablet as the primary tool to satisfy the need for stimulation. However, this has important consequences. Indeed, even if we rule out this over-stimulation, the child’s brain still does not rest. His brain refuses to rest and constantly asks to be stimulated.

It is then that we can hear the famous “ I’m bored! “. It is usually heard in a sad and melancholy tone and with a certain air of protest. Barely 2 minutes after turning off the device, the child’s world collapses on him. Nothing can compete with the sensory flow of the screen he was playing with.

Ease for parents, harm for children

It is certainly comfortable for parents to use these electronic devices as they allow their children to remain absorbed and not disturb them. In any tea room, cafeteria or restaurant, it is common to see a child with a multimedia device in their hands. Indeed, during this time, adults can chat quietly.

Many cars are also equipped with video screens in the back seat to keep children from getting bored. This allows the driver and passenger to speak quietly in the front during the journey.

In reality, it even seems that all the efforts made to prevent the children from being bored are rather made for us than for them. But is it so bad to be bored? What does boredom mean to children?

I remember, as a child, car trips when mobiles and tablets did not yet exist. We would sit in the car and look out the window. And that’s all. We just had to watch and listen. And unintentionally, the magic was taking place.

Right there, I could see a beautiful horse galloping alongside the car. A brown horse with a long neck and a black mane. He jumped over every obstacle that presented itself to him. The imagination was therefore engaged. This imagination so appreciated by teachers but so neglected by others.

How to know and strengthen the imaginative capacity of children to cope with boredom?

But then, how to restore power to the imagination of children?

Give it a try. Let him be bored. Let him find the stimulation his brain needs. And in case the child is having difficulty, you can try to put in place some of the following avenues:

• Encourage him to play with something that doesn’t have batteries;  however, don’t use this as a punishment. Instead, present it as a game or challenge

• As a role model for your child, do the same! Do not turn on the TV or other screens at this time
• Do not offer him alternatives: in fact, let him find what stimulates him the most
• If he chooses one of his toys, see what kind of toys it is. Figures to animate, miniature vehicles, puzzles, construction games, crafts, reading … So you will know how he likes to be entertained and you can stimulate his imagination by developing this type of game.
• If you see that he has trouble having fun on his own, play with him. Little by little, and in a short time, let him continue to play alone so that he does not depend on your presence
• If he hasn’t discovered anything that interests him yet, help him rearrange his toys. Indeed, this may be a good time to sort out the toys that he no longer uses. Donate it to an association and involve your child

• Reward their autonomy in managing their hobbies. Take an interest in what he does, how he does it, what new projects he has and what he needs to make them happen
• Make a weekly schedule with the times of the day when he can use the screens you have at home (TV, mobile, tablet). However, it is essential to apply it seriously

Persevere even if it is not easy

Children are not all the same. Indeed, some may react badly to removing or reducing exposure to television, for example.

This is when the hard work of parents must come into play. They must not give in to the continuing insistence of the child. In fact, it will be the intensity and frequency of the child’s anger, protest and criticism that will reveal how necessary parental intervention was.

Our thoughts

Divergent thinking in children has incredible potential between the ages of 4 and 6. However, by the age of 10, it decreases by 60%.